Artful Deception
by Glac30n
Summary: Ash thought that his adventures would be all fun and games, until he meets a green-eyed boy, with a penchant for stealing anything not bolted to the ground. Fortunately, most of his verbal abuse is reserved for Team Rocket. May Arceus have mercy on their souls.


**AN: Salutations! Here I am, making my debut into the wide, wonderful world of fanfiction. Of my numerous crappy fics, I decided that this one would probably be the best to kick things off with, if only because as a crossover it will probably see less exposure than some of my other works. That way, if people despise it, I'm likely to get less abuse for my efforts.**

 **Some quick notes**

 **1\. I stated in this chapter, that the legal age at which someone can become a Trainer is twelve years old. I did this intentionally for several reasons, most of which will be explained in the third chapter.**

 **2\. I've read several fics, in which it is stated that the Regional Professors are responsible for giving all new Trainers their starter Pokémon. This is quite frankly ridiculous. In a world as expansive as the Pokémon universe, there must be hundreds(if not thousands) of children that come of age each year and choose to become Trainers. The notion that a single individual is expected to provide every single one of them with the same three Starters is borderline retarded. So, I tried to describe Professor Oak's system for handing out Pokémon and Pokédexes. It seemed easier than pretending that every single Trainer in the Kanto region had a Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander hiding somewhere, especially since they're said to be pretty rare(In spite of what the battle on the S.S Anne in the anime suggests.)**

 **3\. This story will most likely draw upon material from the Pokémon Adventures Manga, including some possible cameos from a few of the supporting characters like Daisy Oak. It will also follow the story line of the anime in only the vaguest sense, with elements of the manga mixed in for giggles.**

 **Anyway, enjoy. Bring on the hate!**

 **Warning: I'll try to minimize Harry's cursing, but no doubt he'll get progressively worse.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or Harry Potter(But I will own copies of** **Pokémon Sun and Moon come November! Alola Ninetails SQUEEEE!)**

* * *

It all began on one bright, spring morning, in the small suburb of Pallet Town.

Pidgey were chirping, Beedrill were buzzing, and the citizens of the settlement were merrily going about their morning activities.

Through this idyllic scene, walked a young man. A young man with a goal. The goal of becoming a Pokémon Master.

Every year, Professor Samuel Oak, sponsored three new Trainers to act as Aides in furthering his field studies. They were selected from thousands of hopeful applicants, from all across the Kanto region. These rookie Trainers were chosen to receive one of the man's greatest inventions, the vaunted Pokédex. A device that held and recorded incredible amounts of detailed information on every species of Pokémon in the known world. It's various functions made it the ultimate tool for any Trainer, whether their focus was Battling, Breeding or something else entirely.

In exchange for taking the Pokédex and using it to record any notable Pokémon that they might encounter in their travels, the Professor also gifted them with a rare starter Pokémon to begin their career with. This was a system that allowed the Professor to study Pokémon in the field without ever having to leave his Laboratory.

As an added bonus, the Trainers he sponsored were given the privilege of housing any additional Pokémon that they might capture, at his personal Ranch. The Pokémon were expertly cared for by him and his staff, whilst giving him the chance to study them up close and personal if he so chose, letting him run necessary physical tests and experiment with factors such as diet and nutrition.

It was a brilliant system. And it had been imitated by a number of other world renowned Pokémon Researchers in other regions.

The eager young man, currently strolling along without a care in the world, had been very surprised when he had received a correspondence from one of Prof Oak's assistants. Getting confirmation that he had been selected for the famous scientists's Dex Program had been a dream come true.

He could hardly believe that he was finally here, in Pallet Town! And he was about to get his first Pokémon, from the man recognised as the leading authority on them. It was almost too good to be true!

He suddenly increased his casual pace, eager to reach the laboratory as soon as humanly possible. The local people glanced up curiously as he walked passed, some of them even called out friendly good mornings and other greetings to the obvious stranger in their midst.

Out here, on the small peninsula on which Pallet Town was located, everyone knew everyone to some degree. Even if some people weren't properly acquainted with one another, they still would recognise each other as somewhat familiar from sightings around town. It was a close knit community, where any outsiders were immediately recognisable.

The boy's eyes darted about, curiously inspecting his surroundings as he walked. He found that he could appreciate the sense of calm that this place seemed to project. The isolated houses, with the lush grass and occasional copses of trees interspersed randomly between them, were a welcome change to the bustling cityscapes that he was accustomed to.

It was nice.

But where exactly was the lab? The directions that he'd been provided with had made it seem like it would be a straight walk through the centre of town. And he sincerely doubted that it would be anything less than massive, considering how many Pokémon it housed. Yet, try as he might, he had yet to spot anything.

"Hey, you there! Are you okay?" A loud voice interrupted his musings.

He paused, turning to the source of the noise, only to find another young man, perched on a nearby fence, staring curiously back at him. Feeling caught off guard at being so suddenly addressed, he took a moment to inspect the other boy.

He looked to be a couple of years older than himself, perhaps fourteen or so, with messy, jet-black hair and shockingly bright-green eyes. He didn't really look much like a local. His clothing alone was far more modern and fashionable than anything that he'd seen on any of the townspeople that he'd passed. And his unusual skin tone and facial structure marked him immediately as a foreigner to the Kanto region.

Suddenly, he realised that the strange boy had asked him a question.

"Um, kind of?" He answered, unwilling to admit that he was lost. "I was actually on my way to the Oak Ranch."

At hearing his admission, the other boy's eyes lit up and he almost seemed to bounce with a sudden excitement.

"That's where I'm headed too!" The young man chirped. "You must be one of the other contest winners, am I right?"

He blinked in surprise at the green eyed boy's supposition.

"Other contest winners?" He repeated, parroting the other's words.

The dark haired youth nodded vigorously. "Well yeah, you do know that the Professor selects three candidates a year, don't you?"

He frowned at the other young man's tone. Obviously he remembered that! He wasn't stupid. He simply hadn't expected to run into one of his fellow winners before he even reached the lab.

Realising that the young man in front of him must have also impressed the famed Professor enough to be selected, he started to eye him more critically. He didn't look like anything special. He was pretty tall for a twelve year old though, which was the age he must be for eligibility to become a Trainer. And he also looked like the outdoorsy type, judging by his athletic build. But that was just his physical appearance. Who knew what kind of hidden talents he might have?

This boy could potentially be a rival for the Professor's attention. Also, there were only three of the rare starter Pokémon available. Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. One for each new Trainer. And he had his heart set on Bulbasaur, which would be the most helpful in his goal to enter the Pokémon league.

Bulbasaur was a Grass-type Pokémon. Which was super effective against Ground, Rock and Water-type Pokémon, and highly resistant to Electric-type attacks. Which just so happened to be the types used by the four Gyms he planned to visit first.

But, depending on how they decided who got what Pokémon, which he guessed would involve a random draw of some kind, he might end up with something completely different.

"So, you won the Professor's contest as well?" He needlessly questioned, as his thoughts raced for a way to convince the boy to allow him first pick of the Pokémon on offer.

The dark haired boy nodded vigorously, ignoring the fact that he had just stated the obvious.

"Yep, I sure did!" He chirped happily, hopping nimbly off of the fence and strolling casually up to him. "I was super surprised though. I mean, what were the chances that I'd actually win, ya know?"

He rubbed the back of his messy hair, looking almost embarrassed by his apparent good fortune. Like he genuinely had no idea how he had gotten to where he was.

Perhaps the other youth really had just been lucky? He certainly didn't appear to be anything unique, nor particularly intelligent. Clearly not a potential rival then, he thought with some relief. But, he had heard that Oak's grandson was one of this year's candidates, so that would probably still present a problem.

"So! Did ya wanna head up to the lab together?" The boy asked, with a goofy grin. "You looked a little lost before!"

He gave the taller boy a look of cold disdain for that comment, even though it was technically accurate. He would have found his way eventually! But perhaps accepting his offer would be for the best? At least he would get to the Ranch quicker with a guide, and he wouldn't have to suffer the boy's company for very long anyway.

A nod was finally given in answer to his question, and the boy's smile widened even further at his agreement.

"Awesome!" He crowed, already starting to walk away and leaving the other new Trainer to rush after him with resignation.

"So, what's your name anyway? I'm Harry!" The young man introduced himself, before the other could even answer the question.

"Clive." Was the short, clipped response.

"Cool." 'Harry' responded, shooting him another of those stupidly bright smiles.

The green-eyed rookie chattered incessantly as they walked, obviously confident in where he was going. Clive tuned him and his surroundings out however, lost in his own thoughts of future glory as a renowned Pokémon Trainer.

"Did you get your Trainer card printed yet?" Harry questioned, snapping him out of his daydreaming.

Clive snorted. "Of course I have. I couldn't very well start a journey without proper documentation." He sneered.

Harry showed no sign of noticing his snide tone, and merely reached into the inside pocket of his black jacket to pluck out his own I.D card.

"Me too!" He exclaimed, thrusting the I.D under the other boy's nose.

Clive leaned backwards from the violation of his personal space, keeping the obnoxiously exuberant youth at a distance.

"How nice for you." He drawled sarcastically.

Harry beamed at the perceived compliment. "I know, right?"

They walked in blessed silence for the next minute, but Clive frowned as their path seemed to be leading them into the woods on the outskirts of the town.

"Are you certain that you know where you're going?" He demanded suspiciously.

Harry just nodded, waving off his question with confidence.

"Yep! We're almost there now, so just chill." He assured him.

Clive grumbled quietly to himself, but reluctantly accepted the other boy's assurances.

"Hey, can I check out your I.D? I've never seen someone else's before!" The green-eyed youth suddenly admitted, while still showing no concern for where they were heading, even as they seemed to get further and further from the town behind them.

Clive sighed, reaching into his own pocket to withdraw his new identification, before handing it over carefully. He silently hoped that it would keep the other boy occupied for a minute.

"Clive Orchard." Harry read aloud. "From Saffron City. Wow, that's cool!"

His muttering was ignored, as he loudly read the personal details to himself.

Meanwhile, Clive, was looking around in growing annoyance. They were far enough into the trees now that they were out of sight of the nearest buildings, which was completely at odds with the directions that he had received from the Professor's Aide.

"It says here that you went to Pokémon Tech?" Harry continued, unaware of his companion's growing annoyance. "But you dropped out to join the Dex Project, is that right? Wow! You must have learned a lot at the school! I hear that it's pretty exclusive." He rambled.

Clive was just about ready to snap. The idiot clearly had no idea where he was going, and his incompetence was going to make them both late! The thought of being late to a meeting with the esteemed researcher was enough to make him cringe with mortification.

"I don't think I'd like going to a school like that though." Harry continued to chatter.

' _As if you could even get in.'_ Clive thought to himself spitefully.

"I mean, sure, it sounds pretty great." The green eyed boy admitted. "And you probably get to learn a bunch of interesting stuff."

Clive had had it. He was just about to snap, and tell the idiot exactly what he thought of him. Unfortunately he never got the chance, as something slammed violently into his chest, hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

He slumped heavily to the ground, gasping for air and momentarily overcome with shock, as Harry stood over him with his leg still extended from the vicious kick he'd just delivered.

"They clearly don't teach you stuck-up, whiny, little bastards any common sense though." He continued with a smirk, completely at odds with his formerly cheerful demeanour. "I mean, seriously, following a complete stranger into the woods? What kind of dumb-ass does that?"

Clive gasped desperately for breath, even as anger and indignation rose up inside him. He didn't get the chance to voice his outrage however, as his attacker reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar object. It was a black sphere, bisected by a line of reddish gold, with another golden band running around the upper half of it. On the front was a button, making it abundantly clear that the item was some type of Pokéball.

Harry, if that was even his name, tapped the button and calmly tossed the ball to the ground. It snapped open, releasing a burst of white light, that rapidly shifted and reformed itself into the shape of a completely unfamiliar Pokémon.

He had studied all of the Pokémon native to the Kanto region, in preparation for the first stage of his journey. He could identify them all by sight. But he didn't have a clue as to what the creature in front of him might be. It looked somewhat like a Vulpix, although with far more pointed features than the Kanto Fire-type. It's fur was slate gray, with red and black accents. There was a large tuft of red fur atop it's head, which combined with it's big blue/green eyes, made for an adorable appearance.

However, it was still a Pokémon. And all Pokémon had the potential to be extremely dangerous. Clive eyed the creature warily.

"What the heck are you doing?" He demanded, as he finally started to get his breathing under control.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Calm your tits, drama queen." He mocked. "I'm not going to hurt you…excluding that little kick just now, which you deserved for being a little prick."

Clive's jaw dropped in outrage at the insult. The other boy's personality had done a complete one-eighty from what he had shown before. Which was more than little unnerving, due to the fact that he had come across as so genuine in their brief interactions. He hadn't suspected for even a moment that the taller boy was deceiving him.

Harry scoffed at his shocked silence, though with obvious amusement, before promptly searching in his pockets for something else. Clive privately hoped that it wasn't another Pokéball, as he watched the little grey foxy-thing trot around the clearing, sniffing at random patches of grass.

"Who are you anyway?" He suddenly demanded, while scrambling to his knees to try and stand up. "You already have a Pokémon, which means that you can't be here to see Professor Oak!"

The Professor only accepted rookie candidates for his research project. It was one of his strict criteria.

Harry, if that was even his real name, slowly started clapping, managing to imbue the action with enough sarcasm that even the Pokémon sniffing about his feet looked amused by it.

"Clever, very clever. In the wake of your brilliant deduction, I now have no choice but to monologue and reveal my cunning plan in it's entirety." He deadpanned.

Clive blushed at the blatant mockery, but managed to maintain his façade of indignance. He could get out of this. He just needed to find out what this lunatic wanted from him first. After that, he'd be able to talk his way out of the situation.

Harry suddenly crouched down and scooped the little Pokémon up into his arms.

Clive backed away, as the other boy began to slowly advance on him.

"What the heck do you want with me!?" He demanded, with a trace of apprehension.

The Pokémon in the youth's arms was now eyeing the wannabe Trainer with unabashed interest.

"With you?" Harry questioned, whilst idly petting his partner's fluffy head. "What could I possibly want that you have? I'm far more interested in what you're going to be getting."

Clive paused in confusion, before freezing in horror, as he realised exactly what that sentence implied.

"The Starter Pokémon!" He gasped. "There's no way I'm going to give you that! As soon as I get to the lab, I'm going to report this to the Professor. He'll probably get you black-listed for this and your Pokémon will be confiscated!"

Pokémon theft was taken extremely seriously, even in regards to minors.

Harry laughed at the accusation though, and merely looked entertained by the threat of the authorities.

"Starter Pokémon?" The now obviously older boy repeated. "Why would I give a Rattata's-ass about something like that?"

The wannabe Trainer opened his mouth, no doubt to question exactly what this was all about. If he didn't want to bully him into handing over his new Pokémon, then what exactly was he after?

"So, thanks for the I.D, I'll make sure that you get it back once I'm done with it." The older boy suddenly promised.

The pre-teen wanted to question exactly how his I.D was supposed to help the other boy, but the dark-haired teenager chose that moment to pull a spray bottle out of his leather satchel and squeeze the contents directly into the younger boy's face.

Clive had no chance to react to this, as he almost instantly slumped to the ground, out cold from the diluted bottle of Parasect spores.

Harry eyed the unconscious boy thoughtfully for a moment.

"Huh…I've already forgotten what his name was." He confided to the Pokémon in his arms.

The little, black fox made an odd coughing noise in response, that was unmistakeably It's approximation of a snicker.

"Oh well." He voiced with an uncaring shrug. "Just another random chump, that will most likely have zero impact on our lives after this is over."

The wind started to pick up slightly, rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees, while parting them enough to reveal a pathway leading up a nearby hill. At the top of which, was a large, beige-coloured building with a bright-red roof and a windmill sticking out of the top.

Harry grinned at the sight.

"Told ya that this was the right way to the Lab!" He happily pointed out, to the still unconscious boy.

He stared up at the famed Oak Research Lab and grinned with anticipation.

"This is gonna be a total cake-walk."

…...

Pallet Town, despite being an internationally recognized location, was far less awe inspiring than one would imagine. Although, considering that it boasted a population of only Three-Thousand people, it was hardly all that surprising.

After all, it was just a Town, not a bustling City like it's closest neighbour Viridian. It still had all of the necessities for a fully functioning settlement, including a small high street with a few basic shops. But there certainly wasn't much else to see.

Aside from the main road that cut straight through the town's centre, even the pathways that led through the settlement were all nothing more than well trodden dirt tracks. It was usually a bit of a letdown for most visitors, given that this was the home of the famed Oak Laboratory and Pokémon Ranch.

For one young man however, Pallet Town was all he had ever known. Ash Ketchum had been born and raised there, under the loving care of his single mother.

But, despite truly loving the tranquillity of his home, Ash longed to get out into the world and explore everything that it had to offer. He planned to travel far and wide, winning battles, capturing Pokémon, and most importantly showing stupid Gary just what he was made of!

Unfortunately, in order to do that, he first had to receive his starter Pokémon from their family friend, Professor Oak. And he was late. Very late. Hence why he was currently charging through the town, shrieking at the top of his considerable lungs as he went.

This alone drew some curious looks from his neighbours. The fact that he was wearing only his pyjamas however, led to more than a few laughs following him as he broke into a desperate run down First Street.

'' _Nononononono_!''

People stopped and stared in bemusement as the youth bolted passed them, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake due to the quick pace he was setting. His repeated mantra made some smile with amusement upon realising where he was most likely headed, and others frown with disapproval at his mad dash along the town's main road.

''I'm late, I'm late, I'm _laaaaaaaate_!'' He wailed in misery

Most new Trainers purchased a starter Pokémon from one of the many Breeders that littered the region. Or they had one captured and domesticated for them by an already experienced Trainer of their acquaintance. But most of these were usually Pokémon of the more common and easily handled variety, with rare exceptions for those who were willing to spend the ludicrous prices that some Breeders would charge for rarer specimens. Professor Oak however, was famed for giving out three particularly rare Pokémon.

Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon, a Fire type.

Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon, a Water type.

And finally, Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon, a Grass type.

These three species _could_ be found in the wild, in both the Kanto and Kalos regions. But, due to environmental factors effecting their habitats, they had become rarer and rarer in the last fifty years. To be gifted such a Pokémon was probably the main reason that so many aspiring Trainers chose to apply to be one of the Professor's Dex holders.

The boy running towards Oak Laboratory however, was only vaguely aware of most of those facts. Ash Ketchum had grown up in Pallet Town and had been around the Professor on a regular basis, due to his friendship and rivalry with the man's grandson, Gary Oak. As a result of this, he felt none of the awe that most other children his age may have felt at the thought of receiving a Pokédex from the region's leading expert on Pokémon.

He was a young man, with big dreams and lofty goals, but ultimately no idea of how to reach them. Unlike many new Trainers, he possessed none of the knowledge about the practice of raising, caring for and battling the creatures that he coveted. To his mind, becoming a Pokémon Master was as easy as catching every Pokémon in the world and winning the Pokémon League. This was of course far from the reality of things.

Technically, the Professor had already selected the three candidates that he thought were most worthy of helping with his research, but seeing as Ash's long-absent father had been a good friend of his, and that the boy himself was a friend of his grandson's, the Professor had decided to acquire a starter Pokémon on his behalf.

Of course, it was highly unlikely that he would receive one of the researcher's rare trio of Pokémon. Seeing as he only purchased three a year from his Breeder associates and that they were reserved for those he selected to assist him with his research, it was far more likely that Ash would be receiving a far more generic specimen.

Naturally, the boy in question was completely unaware of this. In fact, it was doubtful that he even truly understood the nature of the Professor's Pokédex studies. All he knew was that he was getting a Pokémon today, from a man that was known to give out Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur to new Trainers.

He was to be sorely disappointed.

As he advanced upon the Oak Lab, he suddenly noticed a crowd gathered out the front of it. As he drew nearer, he slowly decreased his speed from a maddened sprint to a casual jog.

He scanned the faces of the people congregated before him and came to the conclusion that they were there to see off the new Trainers. Ash himself had done the same for years previous, standing with his mother and watching the chosen boys and girls enviously. But this time was different. Because, this time, he would be the one in the spotlight!

"It just doesn't make any sense." Someone muttered, as Ash attempted to manoeuvre his way through the crowd.

"I know." The woman's companion agreed. "Who would've thought that someone would be crazy enough to rob the Oak Ranch? I mean, the man has a freaking Dragonite. And he's apparently gone head to head with the former Champ on several occasions. And anyone who would willingly battle that crazy old-bag, isn't someone I'd ever want to mess with."

Agatha may have no longer held the title of Indigo Champion, but she was still an Elite Four member with a seriously nasty battle style. Her Gengar alone was the stuff of most Trainer's nightmares.

Ash froze mid-step, his eyes going wide with shock as he caught part of the pair's conversation.

"Hey!" He called out in panic, catching the attention of the chattering duo. "What's going on? Did someone really try to steal from Professor Oak?"

His heart hammered in his chest, while various scenarios flashed through his mind's eye. Most prevalent of which was the thought of a masked man cackling evilly, as he commanded three stolen starter Pokémon to do his bidding.

The two people hardly reacted to the pre-teen interrupting their conversation. As a fairly loud and rambunctious kid, Ash was pretty well known around the town.

"That's just the thing kiddo." The woman who'd originally spoken told him. "They didn't _try_ to steal anything. They _succeeded._ "

Ash took a moment to process that, before promptly freaking out and charging towards the laboratory doors, uncaring of how many toes he stepped on or groins he elbowed along the way.

"PROFESSOR!" He howled, slamming through the set of double doors at the front of the building.

Any other action was thwarted however, as he'd barely stepped over the threshold before an orange blur knocked him to the ground and pinned him there with a rumbling growl.

"Great job Growlithe!" A voice praised, as a tall, turquoise-haired woman stepped into Ash's view.

The rest of his line of sight was taken up by the visage of the snarling canine, that had him held firmly against the tiled floor. In spite of the fact that the Pokémon was significantly smaller than the boy, it still pinned him almost effortlessly.

The woman grinned victoriously, as she stood over him.

"They always return to the scene of the crime!" She smugly declared.

Ash officially had no clue what was going on. But, fortunately for him, another voice spoke up and came to his rescue.

"Officer Jenny, what are you doing?" Professor Oak cried out, as he burst into the room.

Ash was highly relieved to see him, especially since he was pretty sure the puppy-thing pinning him was starting to exhale smoke from it's nostrils. Which probably meant that very bad things were about to happen.

"Professor!" The twelve year old chirped.

The scientist sighed, watching the boy who seemed to be a magnet for troublesome situations getting pinned down by a angry fire-type. He once again questioned the logic of sending him out into a world, that was inhabited by creatures that could annihilate the average human-being as easily as breathing. But he just couldn't say no to Delia Ketchum. And the boy's mother had practically begged!

"Officer, this is one of the children that I requested the presence of. He's not a criminal." The older man explained.

The now identified Officer Jenny, looked highly sceptical of that claim.

"Or so he would have us believe!" She retorted. "That's what you said about the other one too, even though it's clearly him on the cameras."

Ash was definitely confused now.

"Umm…could you let me up now? I'm not really sure what's going on here, but I promise I didn't do it!"

The Officer opened her mouth to question that assertion, but the Professor cut her off.

"Don't worry Ash, we believe you." He assured the boy, prompting the Officer to reluctantly call off her Growlithe. "But as for what's going on here…well…we're not exactly sure." He admitted.

Ash blinked.

"Not sure? But someone outside said that you'd been robbed." The boy told him.

The wizened man nodded in confirmation, causing Ash's stomach to plummet with dread. Were the Pokémon okay? Would he still get to become a Trainer today? Why wasn't Professor Oak saying anything?

"Indeed I was." He confirmed. "And the security tapes have a complete recording of the incident. But, unfortunately, we still have no idea who the culprit was."

The young man looked appropriately baffled by that revelation, and promptly forgot about what might have been stolen.

"But you got them on tape right?" He questioned, looking between the two adults for answers. "Can't you find out who it was from that?"

Officer Jenny nodded grimly. "Usually, that would be the case. Such clear footage would make it easy for us to I.D the perpetrator using our facial recognition software. However, there's a problem." She admitted.

At that moment, an unfamiliar boy stepped into the room. He looked to be about Ash's age, but from the looks of him he didn't get nearly as much sleep last night. The poor kid was staggering on his feet.

"This is Clive." The Professor introduced. "He was here today to receive his first Pokémon, along with the latest version of my Pokédex."

Ash perked up at that information.

"Hey, me too!" He informed the other boy.

A sullen and slightly dazed look was all he received in response. Ash wasn't put off however. He received similar looks from the kids at school all the time

"Yes, yes, but that's where things begin to get a little confusing." The scientist continued.

Ash blinked owlishly, giving the man his full attention once again.

"Confusing?" He repeated.

The Professor nodded grimly

"Indeed. You see, around an hour ago, the three new Trainers that I was expecting arrived to see me. Clive here, was one of them."

Ash nodded, while shooting the non-descript boy a curious glance, as he wondered where this explanation was going.

"After the introductions, I handed out Pokédexes that I'd prepared and allowed the candidates to choose their Pokémon."

Ash perked up a bit at the mention of choosing Pokémon and surreptitiously glanced around for anywhere that they could be kept.

"Everything was normal." The Professor hurriedly assured him, while glancing at the police officer to include her in the statement.

"However, half an hour later, Clive here stumbled back through my doors, barely conscious, while claiming that he had just woken up in the woods with Bulbasaur's Pokéball in his pocket."

Ash blinked in bafflement, and gave the other boy a strange look.

"Who falls asleep in the woods just after getting their first Pokémon? That's crazy!" He exclaimed.

The other new Trainer bristled in response.

"I didn't fall asleep! I was attacked!" He insisted.

"Or so you claim!" Officer Jenny jumped into the conversation.

"I told you, it wasn't me!" The boy insisted through gritted teeth. "I never came to get Bulbasaur, and I never received a Pokédex!"

The officer scoffed dismissively, while even Professor Oak looked doubtful of the claim.

"So, you're saying that someone knocked you out, somehow stole your appearance along with your I.D, came and got a rare Pokémon…and then went and placed said Pokémon in your pocket afterwards?" The woman queried dryly.

The boy shook his head vigorously, while still looking more than a little woozy. He really looked like he could use a nap.

"He must have wanted my Pokédex, I already told you that!" He snapped.

Jenny crossed her arms beneath her bust, assuming a no-nonsense pose that in reality only served to draw the Professor's attention to her chest.

"Oh really? Then why didn't he just take your Pokédex after you'd collected it yourself? And that's while ignoring the fact that he somehow looked exactly like you." She pointed out sternly.

"Well, my Pokédexes are unregistered when new Trainers receive them." Professor Oak offered up thoughtfully. "So it would most likely be noted as stolen property if the thief had waited until the young man had received it himself."

The policewoman shot the man an incredulous look.

"You actually believe this story?" She demanded.

"Actually, yes." The Professor nodded, much to the woman's surprise. "And I believe I know how this person was able to completely mimic your appearance." The older man revealed.

"How could somebody do that?" Ash wondered aloud.

"Some _body_ couldn't. However, there are three known Pokémon that could do so. And I believe I know which one was involved." He claimed, while approaching the nearby computer terminal.

"A Pokémon?" Officer Jenny asked, following along behind the man to watch him begin to search through the system. "I've heard that Ditto can mimic people's appearances." She confessed, sounding slightly less doubtful now.

"That is certainly true." The Professor agreed. "Ditto can replicate the cellular structure of virtually anything, whether organic or not. However, the one thing it is incapable of, is altering It's own voice. They can copy the forms and abilities of other living things, but for undiscovered reasons, they can only use their own variant of Pokéspeech."

"And I'm guessing that this person spoke to you?" Jenny guessed.

"Quite so. They even did so at length. And I can also attest to the fact that their speech patterns and vocal tone were completely different to Mr Orchard here." He confirmed.

The officer frowned, clearly starting to take the claim of theft more seriously.

"And Ditto can only transform It's own body, not those of other living things. So a person couldn't use a Ditto to alter their appearance." She mused thoughtfully. "But what about the other two options you mentioned?"

The Professor suddenly grinned, looking entirely too excited for a man that had just been duped and robbed in broad daylight. He clicked a few more buttons on the computer terminal, before gesturing grandly at the monitor.

Ash rushed over to see what the adults were looking at, and stared with fascination at the images on the screen.

"This, is a very rare Pokémon, known as Zorua." The Professor lectured, indicating the image of a small, dark-furred Pokémon on the screen. "It can only be found in the Unova and Kalos regions, and even there it can be almost impossible to find and capture, due to It's rather unique abilities."

"Unique abilities?" Ash parroted.

The Professor nodded, looking almost wistful as he did so.

"Zorua, and It's evolved form Zoroark, possess a unique ability, aptly dubbed 'Illusion'. It's never been intensively studied, as the few Trainers that have captured these Pokémon are usually highly covetous of them and thus unlikely to allow any researchers the opportunity to document the ability." The man told them.

"What does it do?" Ash questioned eagerly.

He didn't realise that Pokémon could have special abilities, on top of their power to shoot lightning and fire and stuff. Pokémon were awesome. He almost couldn't wait to get this whole explanation over with so that he could receive his own!

"The ability, Illusion, allows Zorua and Zoroark to completely camouflage themselves and the area immediately around their bodies. I believe that they do so by somehow bending light around them, thus altering what the naked-eye perceives. A well known young man in Unova actually utilises this in battle, by having his Zoroark assume the image of another Pokémon when he calls it out, leading his opponents to believe that they are in fact facing a completely different Pokémon." Oak lectured.

"Sooo cooool!" Ash gasped, whilst Officer Jenny looked vaguely horrified by what potential uses such a power might have.

"That's the Pokémon!" Clive revealed with shock, pointing at the screen. "He called it out, right before he hit me with that spray!"

"Yes, the sample I took revealed that it was a diluted form of Parasect spores. Which are some of the most potent in the world." Oak informed him sternly, as though he had let himself get sprayed on purpose.

"Lucky it was diluted, I've seen humans end up in comas after getting hit with that stuff." Jenny chimed in, not noticing how the boy paled dramatically at her words.

The Professor began typing again, bringing up an image from the CCTV footage.

"What are you doing?" The woman questioned.

"Proving my theory." The Professor retorted, gesturing triumphantly at the video feed. "Tell me, what strikes you as odd there?"

The screen showed a young man, that Ash noted looked exactly like the boy currently in the room with them. There was one key difference however.

"Is that a plush-toy?" He blurted incredulously, at seeing what was unmistakeably a teddy-bear in the boy's arms.

On the screen, Gary was shooting the other Trainer looks of mocking disdain and the other new Trainer, a girl, was giving him strange glances as well. But that was pretty much Gary's default expression nowadays, and no doubt the girl would be confused by a twelve year-old carrying around a teddy-bear.

"Actually, no." The Professor answered Ash's question, while hitting another button.

Suddenly everything on the screen shifted into blurry shades of red and blue.

"Infrared?" Jenny muttered, before suddenly gasping in shock.

Ash did the same thing a moment later, when he noticed what had caught her attention. The bodies of the Trainers in the video had turned similar shades of red and orange, but the outline of the boy that they had been watching had changed completely. He was now a head taller and noticeably broader than the image had shown them before, though the red blur that his face had been reduced to didn't allow them to see if anything else was different. The biggest change however was the 'teddy' in his arms. It was an even darker red than his or the other Trainers bodies were, and Ash could guess what that might mean, considering what they had been talking about.

"Zorua." Oak whispered, with something near reverence.

Although all Pokémon Possessed special abilities, most of those abilities were shared by several species of Pokémon. It was very rare for a species to possess completely unique powers. Especially those as useful and bizarre as Zorua's. The chance to see one up close and personal, was something that the Professor was unwilling to let slip through his fingers.

"It seems that we have a young thief to track down." The man mused.

"I think Growlithe might be able to help us with that." Jenny suggested, with a look of determination. "Assuming that they made their way here on foot, they can't have gotten far in such a short space of time."

Ash sighed mournfully. At this rate he'd never get a Pokémon.

* * *

 **Done! If anyone actually enjoys this crap, then I'll happily churn out some more.**

 **Also, I realise that Agatha has never been referenced as a former Pokémon League Champion, but she's seriously old and someone must have held the title previously. Plus, I love Agatha, so screw you guys.**

 **Next Chapter will feature Harry's second Pokémon, along with his reason for impersonating someone in order to steal a** **Pokédex.**

 **Peace xxx**


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